​CLIENT

Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center
 

TIMESCALE

4 months​

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COLLABORATION

Dorte Mandrup with Martha Schwartz Partners

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CONTRIBUTION

Part of a small team that took the project from conception to physical and digital models to graphic collateral to tell the story of the BYHMC.

OBJECTIVE: An international design competition was held to create the first Holocaust tragedy Memorial Center in Eastern Europe, situated at the site of the 1941-1943 tragic events in Kyiv. The competition was an anonymous, two-stage project format with an open pre-qualification procedure. The competition rules align with UNESCO Standard Regulations for International Competitions in Architecture and Town Planning, and the UIA Guidelines for design competitions in architecture and related fields published in July 2017. 167 teams entered the competition. 

APPROACH: The team extensively explored various massing iterations to reveal the narrative of Babyn Yar and respectfully honor its historical significance. Special consideration was given to the gravity of the events that transpired at the site, and graphic styles were thoughtfully employed to convey the solemnity and reverence befitting the location.

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RESULTS: The team received second place. From the jury: “The conclusive overall concept, which achieves a unity of building and landscape, is an extraordinarily impressive and site-specific concept for the task. The dramaturgy of the entrance to the building is powerful and well-integrated into the overall connection of the building to the landscape, creating a ‘unique selling point’ to the project.”